Life-saving apparatus



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o. ROSENDAHL. LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

Patented Oct. 8,` 1889.

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o. ROSENDAHL.

LIFE SAVING APPARATUS. Y

N0.4.12,4171. Patentedot.a,1889.

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UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

OLE ROSENDAHL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,41*?, dated October 8, 1889. Application filed April27, 1889i Serial No.v 308,863, (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE RosENDAHL, of Minneapolis, in the county 'of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a speciflcation.

My invention relates to that class of device designed for protecting persons from drowning in deep water, particularly in case of shipwreck, the inherent buoyancy of the device serving to support persons clinging or secured to it; and' it'consists, generally, in' the construction and combination hereinafter described, and particularly point-ed out in the claims.

It is my object inthis invention to providev a craft which is capable ofv supporting a number of persons in the water, of protecting them to a considerable extent from the force of the waves in a rough sea, of being attached to a line and towed from a wreck, or of being propelled by thevpersons supported by it in waters which would swamp any boat.

It consists, essentially, of two buoyant bodies or hulls of substantially equal and .regular size arranged parallel to each other and flexibly joined together,with intervening space to admit the body of a person,`and having suitable attachments to enable one to secure a hold on the apparatus and for securing persons to it.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section through one of the hulls. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the apparatus as folded up for transportation or storage on shipboard.

In the drawings, 2 represents the hull or body, which is preferably several feet in length, of substantially equal size from endv to end, ,and elliptical in cross-section. It

is composed, preferably, of a suitable board 3, forming its center or backbone, a surrounding mast 4C of some material impervious to water and of very light specific gravity-such as cork-rmly compressed and packed about the backbone, and a suitable water-tight envelope or cover 5, preferably water-proof canvas or duck. This hull is banded, preferably,with pieces of cottonweb belting 6, preferably secured to the hull at one point on the outer side of the hull. The two hulls are joined together, preferably, by loops of cotton web 7, either formed integral with the band 6 or secured to them centrally underneath the hulls. These loops are sufficiently long to serve as a support for a person sittingastride thereof between the hulls. The hulls are also connected by means of a rope 8, which is secured along the outer side 0f each hull to the bands 6 and across the ends of the hulls, the length of rope between the hulls being adjusted to the desired space between them. Preferably secured to said rope at either end of the apparatus and midway between the hulls is the hand-rope 9, which passes under and is secured to each of the bands 6 of both hulls near the inner side of the hulls, and thus provides convenient handles to be grasped by persons neXt them. I also prefer to provide each of the hulls with loops 10, secured to the bands 6 near the inner side of the hull, and adapted to be grasped by persons alongside or to be placed underneath the arms as a support for persons either outside or inside the apparatus. I prefer, also, to provide paddles ll, which are secured by suitable cords 12 to the apparatus, and which vmay be slipped under the bands 6 when not in use.

The apparatus, when removed from the water, may be folded up, as shown in Fig. 5, for convenience in handling and storing. When thrown upon the water, it naturally unfolds right sidevup ready for use. It may be made of any desired size to support from two to a dozen or more persons, and may be utilized to transport goods or other articles either placed upon it or attached to it. Rope webbing or other suitable material may be used for any of the parts 6 7 8 9 l0, as may be preferred.

The method of using my improved lifesaving apparatus is as follows: In case of shipwreck, or for the rescue of persons overboard, it is thrown into the water, where from its construction it falls extended or open and maybe readily grasped by the handles formed IOO by the loose portions of the ropes and webbing attached to the hulls, as hereinbefore described. One or more persons, according to the size of the apparatus, can be supported uponthe loops 7 between the hulls, and as many more upon either side. The loops l0 may be thrown over the shoulders and thrown over the arms to support those clinging to the apparatus and prevent their loosing their hold. A line may be attached at the junction of the rope 9 with the rope 8, and the apparatus thus towed to a place of safety. As the rope 9 is secured to each of the bands 6, the strain is distributed to all of these points instead of coming upon the fastenings at the end of the hulls. Paddles 11 may be slipped from under thebands 6 and used by the persons between the hulls to propel the apparatus. In the rough water the persons between the hulls are protected by them from the force of the waves.

This apparatus is especially valuable for use at life-saving stations in place of boats and other apparatus in the roughest kind of surf or breakers by being attached to a line thrown over a wreck and drawn to and fro to transport the passengers from the wreck to the shore.

Vhile I have shown and described an apparatus having two hulls only, three or more hulls may be arranged together with similar connections and attachments where desired.

I claim as my inventionl. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of buoyant hulls formed with a central backbone or rigid core, inclosed by a filling of material impervious to water and of light specific gravity, and having an -outer water-proof covering, a series of centrally-depending loops connecting said hulls together, other flexible connections at the ends of said hulls shorter than said loop connections, but equal to each other in length, series of circumferential bands surrounding each of said hulls and secured thereto, handropes arranged horizontally on the outer and inner sides of said hulls and longitudinally thereof, and series of independent loops secured to the circumferential bands of said hulls and adapted to be thrown outward from said hulls to support persons on the outside of said hulls, or when turned. inward to support persons between said hulls, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a pair of buoyant hulls of substantially uniform size and arranged parallel with each other, of the rope 8, surrounding both said hulls horizontally and connecting their ends together and forming convenient hand-loops on the outer side of said hulls, the inner hand-rope 9, arranged on the inner side of the hulls longitudinally thereof and secured to the rope 8 at either end midway between the ends of the hulls, the series of circumferential. bands 6, surrounding said hulls, the depending loops 7, secured at either end to the bands 6 on the under side of said hulls at points substantially in the medial line of said hulls, and the loops l0, secured, respectively, to the bands G and adapted to be thrown either outward or inward of said hulls and to serve as a support for persons clinging thereto, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with a pair of buoyant hulls arranged parallel with each other and having flexible end connections with each other, hand ropes secured longitudinally thereof on their inner and outer sides, circumferential bands surrounding cach of said hulls and secured thereto, depending loops secured at either end to said bands on the under side of said hulls and substantially along their medial lines, independent handloops secured upon the upper side of said hulls to said circumferential bands, and suitable hand-paddles attached to said hulls and adapted to be slipped under said circumferential bands when not in use, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17 th day of April, i889.

OLE ROSEN DAI-IL.

In presence of T. D. MERWIN, A. M. GAsKILL. 

